49ers’ stiff defense overshadowed in win

Lost amid the 49ers‘ record-setting offensive performance in a 45-3 demolition of the Bills on Sunday was the fact that the other offense on the field was nearly nonexistent.

Buffalo, which entered ranked sixth in the NFL in points per game (28.8), was limited to its lowest point total, fewest yards (204) and fewest first downs (10) since the 2010 season.

Not that anyone noticed with the 49ers setting a franchise record with 621 yards. And not that safety Donte Whitner cared about playing second fiddle to the offense for a change.

“We don’t have a problem being overshadowed by the offense,” Whitner said. “As a defense, we feel like we’re a top defense in the National Football League. You want an offense to go out there and put up points.”

Another fact lost after the game was this: The 49ers led only 10-3 late in the second quarter before linebacker Patrick Willis came up with a game-shifting play.

On 3rd-and-6 at the Bills’ 21, Buffalo quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick tossed a first-down pass to tight end Scott Chandler, who was stripped from behind by Willis after an 11-yard gain. Safety Dashon Goldson picked up the fumble and returned it 5 yards.

“It was a big momentum changer,” Whitner said. “Pat is really good at that – a guy catches it and he works the arms and gets the ball out. We expect that out of Pat.”

On the next play, quarterback Alex Smith connected with Michael Crabtree on a 28-yard touchdown pass into the left corner of the end zone to give the 49ers a 17-3 lead 24 seconds before halftime.

And after the 49ers’ defense had capped a two-game stretch in which it allowed three points and an average of 174.5 yards a game, Whitner, whose locker is next to Goldson’s, could even joke that he expected a bit more from his fellow safety on the play.

“We just wish Dashon would pick that ball up and be able to run it in for a touchdown,” Whitner said.